Coming in somewhere between a short film and a full length feature, Reboot plays above it’s modest budget and delivers a cinematic novella that benefits from its claustrophobic setting and it’s skilled cast.

Starring Emily Somers as STAT, a hacker who wakes up with her smartphone attached to her hand, bruises and blood on her face, and a slowly returning memory — the film keeps our attention as STAT and her friends Bren (Martin Copping) and Eva (Sonalii Castillo) try to solve the code that keeps ominously ticking down on her phone.

As the techno terrorist villain, Travis Aaron Wade (who looks like Jeremy Renner) creeped me out. His character, Jesse, feels like the kind of villain that could be grounded in reality. A more grounded Bond-villain type with a bent mind that both luxuriates in and despises the digital realm and technology.

Through Jesse, the filmmakers ask questions about the value of connectivity, a “plague” that Jesse and his co-conspirators are dedicated to stopping with a potentially catastrophic act.

It’s scary stuff to consider as we become more and more reliant on technology and the filmmakers use those fears against us to drive the film toward it’s end.

I give Reboot 4 stars out of 5. It’s a taut thriller that demands your attention. Directed by Joe Kawasaki with a runtime of 39 minutes, you can download Reboot for $2.99 on their website now.